UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, a day after our report aired, The Brecksville Theater sent a statement saying it has cut ties with the board member who is accused of making anti-LGBTQ posts on social media. They sent us the statement below. Our original report follows.
Following further discussion, we have ended our relationship with a board member whose views expressed on social media do not align with our core values. This decision was made with the best interests of our community and organization in mind. Our commitment to The Brecksville Theatre’s mission and values remains steadfast. In the coming months, we look forward to rebuilding the trust between TBT and the surrounding communities.
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There's a bit of drama happening at The Brecksville Theatre and not in a good way. There are accusations that a theatre board member made numerous anti-LGBTQ posts on social media, but the board member said hold on.
Kegan Sulamoyo said it was going to be the first big spotlight he had in a while. “I was super excited about this role,” said Sulamoyo. He was going to play Cousin Kevin in The Brecksville Theatre's production of "The Who's Tommy."
However, he was blindsided recently. “I was just confused, angry and just upset when I saw those comments,” said Kegan. He’s referring to allegations about a Brecksville Theatre board member’s social media posts. “Why is this person working in theater? I don't know how someone with those viewpoints could work in a theater,” said Kegan.
“I was very hurt and disappointed,” said Christina Katsaras. She was in the cast as well and said she couldn’t believe the social media posts.
“Honestly, I had to take a step back because I was so upset,” she told us. “I was frightened especially considering the current climate right now.”
We called the theatre and stopped by the offices, but no luck. We got two statements from the board saying in part, "the remarks and actions of this individual do not align with the values of our theatre or of the individual board members…" and that it takes "these situations very seriously and immediately began an investigation…and will have a resolution by Friday evening."
“I do hope that the board reevaluates their members on the board,” Katsaras. “I hope they reevaluate their mission and values.”
News 5 reached out to the board member, but no luck yet. We are not naming him because no criminal charges have been filed. He was not named in the statements from the board.
On a recent podcast, the board member in question said there's a local group "attacking conservatives in Brecksville and Broadview Heights… I’m their latest target… they take information out of context." He said he's not sexist, transphobic or homophobic.
Both Katsaras and Sulamoyo have decided not to take part in the show and told us nearly all other cast members have walked off the stage, too.
“Bigotry has no place in theater and that anybody who is complacent or stands on the side of bigotry, then you're no better than the bigot themselves,” said Sulamoyo.
The production of "The Who's Tommy" has been postponed, and anyone who has tickets to the September show will be fully refunded.
Here are the two statements The Brecksville Theatre sent us:
“Recently it was brought to the attention of The Brecksville Theatre (TBT) board of directors that a board member’s private social media posts were not in line with the mission and vision of TBT. We take these situations very seriously and immediately began an investigation. This work takes time and requires specific steps to ensure we fully understand all aspects of the situation.
The TBT board is committed to addressing this situation and are taking the necessary steps to resolve it as quickly as is reasonable.
Please be assured that TBT remains as it always has been, and will be, committed to inclusivity in all aspects of the theatre: management, production and participation.
Comments and actions of individuals do not reflect the values of TBT.
Once we have completed the investigation and outlined our path forward, we will share it here on our social media pages.
In addition, it is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the postponement of our upcoming September show, Tommy. Any and all tickets purchased will be fully refunded.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.”
Statement 2:
“We sincerely apologize that our theatre family has had to confront this unsettling situation. The remarks and actions of this individual do not align with the values of our theatre or of the individual board members. We are committed to demonstrating our allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community. Our board members are volunteers who manage this alongside their day jobs and family commitments. Please know that the board is actively engaged in resolving this very serious issue and will have a resolution by Friday evening. We will gladly share this information with you as soon as it becomes available.”
